HUDA’s soft spot for HSEBChandigarh, March 20
HUDA, which officially stands for the Haryana Urban Development Authority but for its clients it denotes “Harassment Until Death of the Allottee”, has more than a soft corner for the Haryana Power Utilities, which till a few years ago were under the umbrella of the Haryana State Electricity Board (HSEB).

Step on crop diversification ‘timely’Chandigarh, March 20
The Haryana Government’s decision to diversify 10 per cent of the area under paddy to other crops such as maize, soyabean, sugarcane and pulses is being called a timely step by agricultural experts here. The state government has reportedly also identified the areas to be covered by these crops while it also decided to set up a large number of demonstration plots on maize, baby corn, soyabean, guar and other crops.

Rail ticket booking to be privatisedPanipat, March 20
Northern Railway is planning to hand over rail ticket reservation to private parties and link the reservation system with Internet facilities at all railway stations of the zone.

Role of Hindujas not ruled outGurgaon, March 20
A BJP stalwart and in charge of the Haryana affairs of the party, Mr Ram Das Aggarwal, today said that the inquiry being conducted into the Tehelka expose would include the possible role of the NRI industrialists, Hinduja brothers, who are accused in the Bofors kickback case.

Completion of SYL canal soughtRohtak, March 20
The Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Haryana, has demanded the completion of the SYL canal and transfer of Hindi-speaking areas of Abohar and Fazilka in Punjab to Haryana.

Delhi-Jaipur highway
opensRewari, March 20
It resembles the track of a Formula I motor race and if Michael Schumacher ever chances upon seeing this track he may well think of zooming his Ferrari on the newly laid 248 km Delhi-Jaipur
highway.

Judge allows police to quiz DangiRohtak, March 20
A Special Judge, Mr Shiva Sharma, today granted permission to the Ambala police to interrogate former minister Anand Singh Dangi who is facing charges under various sections of the IPC.

Murder case: sadhus threaten
immolationRohtak, March 20
The situation might take a grave turn in the wake of immolation threat
by the sadhus of Nath community spread all over the nation in protest
against the “implication” of Baba Chand Nath Yogi, mahant, Baba
Mastnath Math, here in a murder case.

Gangs of robbers, cheats
bustedKaithal, March 20
The district police claims to have solved a number of cases of robberies, looting of cash at gun point and thefts of vehicles following the arrest of six members of a gang last
night.

Youth killed was ‘innocent’Faridabad, March 20
One of the youth who had been killed in the police encounter in connection with the kidnapping of an NRI in Sarvapriya Vihar of Delhi on Sunday belonged to this town.
Identified as Sunil Nathani (27), his body was cremated here last evening.

Five injured in truck-jeep collisionBhiwani, March 20
Five persons were injured in a head-on collision between a jeep and a truck on the Tosham road yesterday. The injured have been admitted to Civil Hospital. The injured Mainpal (24), Kalyan Singh (80), Anna Singh (92), Mahipal Singh (30) and Mahipal (45), were returning after attending a marriage when a truck allegedly rammed into their jeep. The truck driver is absconding.

Four killed in separate incidentsFaridabad, March 20
Four persons, including a minor girl, were killed in separate incidents in the district during the past 24 hours.
According to information, six-year-old Sashi, daughter of Mr Balkishan of nearby Jarshetli village was crushed to death by a vehicle on the national highway this morning.

Mystery shrouds peacocks’ deathRohtak, March 20Mystery shrouds the death of several peacocks at Dehkora village in Jhajjar district, about 30 km from here, during the past 48 hours.
According to reports, at least six peacocks were found dead on the outskirts of the village on Sunday.

17 employees found absentAmbala March 20
Seventeen officials and employees were found absent during a surprise check carried out by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Mahinder Kumar, today.
Administrative action has been recommended against them.

Chandigarh, March 20
HUDA, which officially stands for the Haryana Urban Development Authority but for its clients it denotes “Harassment Until Death of the Allottee”, has more than a soft corner for the Haryana Power Utilities, which till a few years ago were under the umbrella of the Haryana State Electricity Board (HSEB). HUDA, which promptly levies penal interest on delayed payments (often on timely payments also), adopts a different yardsticks when it deals with the power utilities.

The authority has taken no steps to recover about Rs 22.50 crore from the HSEB, which were advanced to the latter as loan by the former decades ago.

In March, 1982, HUDA advanced a loan of Rs 1 crore to the HSEB, which was to return the principal amount along with interest in five annual instalments after a moratorium of five years. In case of delayed payment, HUDA was to charge penal interest at the rate of 12 per cent.

When CAG of India scrutinised the records of HUDA in May, 1998, it found that the HSEB did not return any amount which accumulated to Rs 3.05 crore. The interest element was to the tune of Rs 2.05 crore as in April, 2000.

Refusing to learn any lesson from its past experience, HUDA, on the directions of the State Government, advanced another loan of Rs 5 crore to the HSEB in January, 1991, at the interest of 10.5 per cent per annum for five and a half years.

After the expiry of the loan period, in October, 1996, the HSEB requested HUDA to renew the loan of Rs 5 crore in the fixed deposit for a further period of five and half years at the same rate of interest. HUDA turned down the request and told the HSEB that in case the amount was not refunded by November 28, 1996, penal interest at the rate of 18 per cent would be charged from the due date of July 28, 1996. The HSEB did not repay the amount. Till April , 2000, the interest alone had accumulated to Rs 4.83 crore, besides the principal amount of Rs 5 crore.

CAG regretted that HUDA had not initiated any action to recover Rs 12.88 crore (principal amount of Rs 6 crore and interest of Rs 6.88 crore) from the HSEB. It further observed that due to its failure to obtain adequate security for the loan, HUDA took undue risk and failed to protect its interest.

The authority allotted two plots measuring 112.71 acre and 28,168 sq.yrd. in March, 1979, to the HSEB in the Urban Estate-II of Hisar for Rs 82 lakh. The terms and conditions of the allotment letter stipulated that any enhancement in the cost of land would be payable by the allottee within 30 days of the demand being made by HUDA. In case of failure to pay the additional price of land, the Estate Officer was to take action for imposition of penalty and resumption of the plots in accordance with the provisions of the HUDA Act, 1977.

CAG found in August, 1999, that HUDA had paid Rs 1.62 crore as enhanced compensation of land awarded by the court to the landowners. However, the HSEB did not pay this amount as demanded by HUDA as per the terms of allotment between June, 1987, and April, 1989.

HUDA issued a show cause notice in December, 1994, to the HSEB, imposing a penalty of Rs 37.61 lakh, but took no further action to recover the amount or resume the plot. In January, 1999, the HSEB, which had now become the Haryana Vidyut Parasaran Nigam (HVPN), requested HUDA to waive the penalty and the enhancement amount as it was not in a position to pay it due to a financial crunch.

HUDA informed the HVPN in July, 1999, that till the end of June that year the amount to be recovered from the latter had gone up to Rs 8.42 crore. No action was taken though in May, 2000, the due had accumulated to Rs 9.57 crore.

CAG referred both cases to the State Government in March, 2000, but it had not received any reply till August, 2000.

Chandigarh, March 20
The Haryana Government’s decision to diversify 10 per cent of the area under paddy to other crops such as maize, soyabean, sugarcane and pulses is being called a timely step by agricultural experts here. The state government has reportedly also identified the areas to be covered by these crops while it also decided to set up a large number of demonstration plots on maize, baby corn, soyabean, guar and other crops.

The area under cash crops has been going down in Haryana over the years. The cultivated area under sugarcane decreased from 1.62 lakh hectares in 1996-97 to 1.33 lakh hectares in 1999-2000. During the same period the area under oilseeds has plummeted from 6.73 lakh hectares to 4.84 lakh hectares and cotton from 6.53 lakh hectares to 5.46 lakh hectares.

While the area under cash crops has been shrinking, that under wheat and paddy has been increasing steadily, the latest Economic Survey of Haryana said. The area under wheat in the state shot up to 23.14 lakh hectares in 1999-2000 from 20.17 lakh hectares four years ago. Similarly, the area under paddy rose to 10.87 lakh hectares in 1999-2000 from 8.31 lakh hectares in 1996-97.

As the area under wheat and rice has been increasing in the state, the production of these two crops has also registered an upward trend. The production of wheat in 1999-2000 was over 18 lakh tonnes more than that produced four years ago. Rice output also registered an increase.

In contrast, the production of commercial crops like sugarcane, cotton and oilseeds has been found to be fluctuating. While 13.09 lakh bales of cotton produced in 1999-2000 was better than the previous year’s figure of 8.74 lakh bales, it was below the production figure of 15.07 lakh bales in 1996-97. During the same period, sugarcane production fell to 7.39 lakh tonnes from 9.02 lakh tonnes and oilseeds to 6.42 lakh tonnes from 9.85 lakh tonnes. The production of pulses went down to 0.79 lakh tonnes in 1999-2000 from 3.23 lakh tonnes in 1998-99.

The official agencies are believed to have intensified their attempts to encourage the farmers to go in for diversification in view of the shrinking domestic market for wheat and paddy.

Moreover, the integration of India with the world economic system through the WTO has thrown up new challenges to the Indian agricultural sector and a change in the paddy-wheat rotation is stated to be the need of the hour. A working paper prepared by an expert for the Y. K. Alagh Committee, which has been assigned the job of preparing a report on the probable impact of the WTO on the agricultural sector of Punjab and Haryana by the governments of these two states, also recommended the diversification of crops as a necessary prerequisite to gearing up to the WTO regime.

The working paper suggested a reduction in the area under wheat and rice in both states and also prescribed “a real big push” in public investments for diversified agriculture. According to the paper, the demand for rice and wheat, including the indirect demand for feed, seed, industrial use, etc, in the next 20 years, will increase at the rate of 1.8 and 2 per cent per annum, respectively. Compared to these two crops, the demand for pulses is expected to grow by 2.96 per cent and vegetables by 3.20 per cent, it said.

Panipat, March 20
Northern Railway is planning to hand over rail ticket reservation to private parties and link the reservation system with Internet facilities at all railway stations of the zone.

This was stated by the General Manager, Northern Railway, Mr S.C. Mehta, while talking to mediapersons here last evening, after a daylong inspection tour of railway stations in Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Safidon (Jind) and Panipat districts. The department had also issued tenders for doubling the number of STD/PCO booths on the railway stations of the zone, he said.

The General Manager said New Delhi-Chandigarh Shatabdi Express stop at Panipat was likely to be cancelled as the stoppage at Panipat had not yielded desired results. The stoppage facilities were extended on a trial basis for six months on the demand of the Haryana Chief Minister, he said. However, he agreed to consider the proposal for providing a stoppage of Pooja Express at Panipat.

Mr Mehta also ruled out the possibility of a rail link between Meerut and Panipat, stating that this plan had been dropped after receiving a survey report.

Listing some ongoing developmental and welfare activities, he stated that the provision of drinking water on platforms, passenger shelters and improvement in water supply at Panipat and other nearby stations were being made on priority basis.

Mr Mehta revealed that regarding passengers and goods, New Delhi and Baholi railway stations had generated highest revenue in North zone.

When asked about the proposals for laying two more tacks between Delhi and Panipat, the General Manager said a track was likely to be sanctioned from Delhi to Sonepat only.

He said the Railways had decided to increase the number of coaches in local EMU trains upto 16 from April 1 to cope with the increasing number of passengers. He said a new railway station at Nara, between Madloda and Karsindhu on the Jind-Safidon route, had been sanctioned.

Earlier, the General Manager inaugurated a running room at Panipat junction to facilitate the running staff which included drivers and guards.

Gurgaon, March 20
A BJP stalwart and in charge of the Haryana affairs of the party, Mr Ram Das Aggarwal, today said that the inquiry being conducted into the Tehelka expose would include the possible role of the NRI industrialists, Hinduja brothers, who are accused in the Bofors kickback case.

There had been loud whispers in certain quarters on the role of the Hinduja brothers eversince the expose. But the BJP leaders and senior leaders of the NDA had been skirting the point.

Mr Aggarwal was here in connection with a meeting of the state executive of the party. The former President of the party, Mr Khusahbhau Thakre, also attended the meeting as a central observer.

The state meeting was convened to boost party’s morale and explain the workers the position of the BJP arising out of the expose in which the then party President Bangarau Laxman was videographed to be
directly involved.

In the first phase of the damage control exercise
in Haryana, the party has decided to mobilise maximum support for the National Democratic
Alliance(NDA) public meeting convened in Delhi on March 25.

The ruling INLD in Haryana and an ally of the BJP has also decided to mobilise support for the meeting. Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala had a round of discussions with top NDA leaders this morning.

Sonepat, March 20
Many employees, including the engineer of the Sonepat Municipal Council were ‘taken hostage’ by irate residents of Tara Nagar here yesterday.

According to a report, as soon as these employees reached the locality for
demarcation of a disputed land, they were gheraoed by the residents and taken to a nearby room, where they were kept as ‘hostages’. On receiving information, senior officials of the council rushed to the site and pacified the irate residents, following which the employees were ‘released’ after an hour or so.

Some residents claimed that they thought that the officials belonging to a survey team for the assessment of house tax under the new scheme introduced by the state government, and hence they were ‘taken hostage’. The residents of the area, mostly women, had not allowed the survey team to undertake the assessment of house tax last week.

According to another report, pandemonium prevailed at the meeting of the Sonepat Zila Parishad held here yesterday under the Chairmanship of Mr Raj Singh Dahoya, Chairman of the Zila Parishad.

The trouble arose when a member, Mr Mohan Lal Kaushik, levelled allegations of discrimination by the Chairman in distribution of the development funds received from the Central Government. This led to noisy scenes at the meeting for about an hour or so.

Mr Kaushik alleged that more funds were allotted to the areas represented by INLD supporters by the Chairman while others were ignored. Mr Ashok Yadav, Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chief Executive Officer of the District Rural Development Authority intervened and succeeded in controlling the situation.

Thereafter, the meeting began and a number of resolutions were passed unanimously.

Rohtak, March 20
The Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Haryana, has demanded the completion of the SYL canal and transfer of Hindi-speaking areas of Abohar and Fazilka in Punjab to Haryana.

The sabha, which held its annual meeting at Gurukul Inderprastha, Faridabad, has also decided to launch an agitation to pressurise the Centre for an early completion of the SYL canal. The meeting planned to launch a campaign to create awareness among the masses about the link canal and mobilise them for the proposed agitation between May 10 and 15.

Workers of the Arya Samaj would tour the entire state for the purpose. The beginning would be made from the southern districts of Haryana, the sabha said in a press note issued here today.

The sabha approved the income and expenditure of Rs 17.07 lakh for the year 1999-2000 and its annual budget of Rs 36.65 lakh for the current financial year. It also approved the budgets of Gurukul Kurukshetra, Gurukul Inderprastha and the Dayanand Updeshak Mahavidyalaya, Shadipur.

The sabha urged the Centre to fulfil the promises made at the time of creation of Haryana. It said that in 1966, the Centre had assured to fully finance the new Capital project of Haryana. It had also then taken the responsibility of
constructing a new Capital for the state.

The sabha urged the state government to encourage the use of Hindi in its offices. It regretted that because of the use of English in the universities and the Central services, brilliant students of the state had to suffer.

The sabha constituted a 15-member committee under the chairmanship of Swami Indervesh to enhance the use of Hindi. It also decided to constitute “Ved Prachar Mandalis’ for each of the 90 Assembly segments of the state.

Rewari, March 20
It resembles the track of a Formula I motor race and if Michael Schumacher ever chances upon seeing this track he may well think of zooming his Ferrari on the newly laid 248 km Delhi-Jaipur
highway.

The four-lane bitumen road, with the rich countryside of Haryana engulfing it from both
sides, today presents a benchmark for road development in the country. The
completion of the much awaited express highway would give a further impetus to the flow of tourists, especially in the “golden triangle” of Delhi-Jaipur-Agra with the travelling time getting significantly
reduced.

The highway was completed today with the inauguration of the railway overbridge on the Delhi-Rewari-Alwar-Jaipur railway
line.The overbridge is part of the highway project undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Haryana and
Rajasthan.

The overbridge, which comes under the golden quadrilateral programme of National Highways Development Project (NHDP), has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 20 crore and completed in a year’s time.The NHAI has been entrusted with the implementation of the Prime Minister’s dream project — the
NHDP.

The main components of the NHDP include the construction of the 5,952 km Golden Quadrilateral connecting Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai which is scheduled for completion by 2003 and the 7,300 North-South, East-West Corridor, which is projected to be completed by 2007.The estimated cost of the project is Rs 54,000 crore and the expenditure will be met through a host of financing mechanisms, grants and loans from multilateral agencies, and also through build-own-transfer (BOT) schemes, including annuity
schemes.

The overbridge was inaugurated today by the Minister of State for Surface Transport, Maj-Gen. B.C.
Khanduri.The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, was also present on the occasion.

Rohtak, March 20
A Special Judge, Mr Shiva Sharma, today granted permission to the Ambala police to interrogate former minister Anand Singh Dangi who is facing charges under various sections of the IPC.

The Judge allowed DSP (HQ), Ambala, Mr Sultan Singh, to interrogate Mr Dangi, currently lodged in district jail here, today and tomorrow. If need be, he could be interrogated a day after also, the Judge observed.

The Ambala police has registered two cases against Mr Dangi, under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B dated June 29, 1990 and under Sections 217, 417, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC on March 14, 2000, at the city police station.

The Ambala police had sought permission to interrogate Mr Dangi from the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ambala, who directed the investigating officer to take permission from the Special Judge, Rohtak.

Rohtak, March 20
The situation might take a grave turn in the wake of immolation threat by the sadhus of Nath community spread all over the nation in protest against the “implication” of Baba Chand Nath Yogi, mahant, Baba Mastnath Math, here in a murder case.

In a sensitive development Yogi Rakesh Nath, secretary, Shri Baba Mastnath Ayurvedic Sanskrit Shikshan Sansthan, today warned the authorities that he would commit immolation in front of the samadhi of Shri Baba Mastnath if the “evil attempts” to tarnish the image of the pious math were not checked soon. Describing the implication of the mahant in a murder case as part of high-level conspiracy, he said thousands of sadhus would follow him by committing immolation for which the administration would be responsible.

Mahant Chand Nath was found involved in a murder case by the Sonepat police on March 18. Mr Paramjit Singh Ahlawat SP Sonepat, said the police arrested Manjit of Sonepat on March 11 in connection with several criminal cases registered against him. He said during the interrogation the dreaded criminal confessed to have committed the murder of Baba Azadnath while the latter was sleeping in a temple at Rewari in January, 1999. He admitted that he murdered the sadhu on a contract of Rs 1.5 lakh made with Ashok of Narela.

The SP said Baba Azadnath was a claimant of the highest seat of Mastnath Math and therefore Mahant Chand Nath and his gunman eliminated him through a contract killer.

Kaithal, March 20
The district police claims to have solved a number of cases of robberies, looting of cash at gun point and thefts of vehicles following the arrest of six members of a gang last night.The SP, Mr A.S. Chawla, told media persons here yesterday that on a tip-off, a police party comprising Amir Singh Sabharwal, DSP, Raj Singh, Inspector, CIA, and Balbir Singh, Inspector, SHO city Kaithal, gheraoed the gang members near Kaithal drain here, when they were planning to loot occupants of trucks on the highway.

On being challenged by the police, they surrendered, the SP added. The police seized two pistols, knives and torches from them.
Those arrested include, Ram Mehar, Rakesh, all residents of Balu village, and
Rajbir.
The police has registered cases against them.

The SP said there had recently been seven cases, including stealing of three motor cycles and looting of cash at gun point from a petrol station at Pai and a chemist shop at Kaithal.

A gang member, Ram Mehar, was allegedly involved in stealing motor cycles from Kurukshetra and also looting a petrol station. He was earlier booked under the arms Act.

Rajbir was allegedly involved in six cases, including stealing of Maruti cars from Panipat and Kaithal.
The other accused, Rajinder and Rakesh, too, were involved in looting cash and stealing mator cycles from a number of places.

In another breakthrough, two members of a gang allegedly involved in cheating dealers by selling Iron scrap to them as copper scrap were arrested by the city police on Sunday and booked under Section 420 of the IPC.

On getting a tip-off, a police party headed by ASI, Ashok Kumar, in charge of the Civil Lines police post here, raided a premises on Khurana road here. They seized about 2 quintals of copper wire scrap, varnish, paints, Iron Karahis and other material used for changing the colour of Iron wires to that like copper.

Those arrested include Madan Singh of Dehra village and Surinder of Khurana road here.

The modus operandi adopted by the gang members, was that they used to purchase copper wire scrap for Rs 100 to Rs 125. They also used to procure fresh iron wires from the market and process them by using different colours. Later they made bundles of the wires for disposal in the market and put the coloured iron wires in the bundles of copper wires. They thus duped a number of shopkeepers and earned huge profits as iron wires are procured for Rs 22 to 25 per kg and sold as scrap at the market rates of Rs 100 to 125.

Faridabad, March 20
One of the youth who had been killed in the police encounter in connection with the kidnapping of an NRI in Sarvapriya Vihar of Delhi on Sunday belonged to this town.

Identified as Sunil Nathani (27), his body was creamted here last evening.

While the Delhi police claimed that Sunil was associated with the gang, owing allegiance to gangster Babloo
Srivastva, family members and friends of Sunil claim that he was innocent and became a victim of the exchange of fire which took place between the police and criminals.

The victim’s kin claim that Sunil was a fashion choreographer. He used to visit his parents in Sector 15-A here occasionally. The victim had been residing in Delhi.

On the other hand, the Delhi Police has stated that Sunil was actively associated in the abduction of the
NRI, Mr T. Siddique, and even the car of Sunil was used in the abduction.

Bhiwani, March 20
Five persons were injured in a head-on collision between a jeep and a truck on the Tosham road yesterday. The injured have been admitted to Civil Hospital. The injured Mainpal (24), Kalyan Singh (80), Anna Singh (92), Mahipal Singh (30) and Mahipal (45), were returning after attending a marriage when a truck allegedly rammed into their jeep. The truck driver is absconding.

In another incident, Pawan (18) of Ranila village was attacked with iron rods when he was going on a tractor. He has been admitted to a hospital.

Faridabad, March 20
Four persons, including a minor girl, were killed in separate incidents in the district during the past 24 hours.

According to information, six-year-old Sashi, daughter of Mr Balkishan of nearby Jarshetli village was crushed to death by a vehicle on the national highway this morning.

A married woman, identified as Phoolwati, who was injured in a group clash on March 16 at Sanjay Colony here succumbed to her injuries in the hospital last night.

In third incident, Bishan (35) of Rakesh Colony in Ballabgarh town allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself last night. In another incident, Mukhtiar of Mujesar village was run over by a train near the village yesterday.

Rohtak, March 20
Mystery shrouds the death of several peacocks at Dehkora village in Jhajjar district, about 30 km from here, during the past 48 hours.

According to reports, at least six peacocks were found dead on the outskirts of the village on Sunday. Even before the authorities concerned could start investigations into the matter, several more peacocks — around 50, according to villagers — were found dead yesterday on the outskirts of the village.

The birds’ carcasses bore injury marks on their necks and villagers suspect that they were killed by some miscreants who fled on being confronted by
them.

Jhajjar Deputy Commissioner Shashi Gulati today said she would inquire into the matter and ensure that the guilty were punished.
UNI

Ambala March 20
Seventeen officials and employees were found absent during a surprise check carried out by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Mahinder Kumar, today.

Administrative action has been recommended against them.

In the Irrigation Department, Project Division No. 2, six personnel, including two officials, were found absent. In the Division No. 3, three employees were found absent and in the Water Works Division, two employees were not present.

While two employees were found absent in the SYL division, in the Water Services Division, four employees were found absent.